Heat
by TwoBrothersWriting
Summary: Ben Skywalker's fascination with a young lady could spell doom for them both.


_**46 ABY: Corbos**_

Ben Skywalker ran at a frantic pace, arms pumping, breathing labored, his face drenched with sweat from the oppressive heat in the underground lava tubes deep below the planet Corbos. Shadows cast from the blue lightsaber blade flickered across the tunnel walls as the blue glow lit his way through the difficult terrain. Behind him Ben could hear the rapid and strained breathing of his fellow Jedi, Katti Novaku, a newly Knighted Jedi within the order.

Ben looked back and spotted Katti trailing behind him. Her green lightsaber illuminated her long brown hair as it whipped around her face as she ran. The light also reflected off the long sharp teeth and claws of the enormous lumbering beast pursuing them. Katti looked over her shoulder and grimaced. "It's almost on us," she said with a groan as she tried to pick up the pace without breaking an ankle on the uneven terrain.

As the monster moved closer Ben could see the glow of four eyes and he knew then what he was dealing with. It was a Leviathan…a big one…and having a leviathan in pursuit was a very bad thing.

Ben knew a little about the animal. Decades ago, in 12 ABY, a newly established mining colony on the planet was nearly wiped out by Leviathans. Kyp Durron and a team of Jedi were dispatched to the planet to assist the miners. They found their lightsabers of little use against the leviathans and ended up setting up a trap to electrocute the beasts. Obviously, one of the monsters evaded the Jedi's hunting party.

Two days ago, Ben came to the planet Corbos with Jedi Novaku to investigate a report that the Mandalorian security-force commander, Mirta Gev was spotted on the planet. Ben jumped at the chance to check out the rumor, mainly because the last time he saw Mirta Gev she was in the company of Vestara Khai. Ben had unfinished business to settle with Vestara Khai—the young Sith woman who was once his lover and later became his betrayer.

Early reconnaissance reports hinted that the Mandalorians had set up a temporary camp at the location of the old mining colony on Corbos, but if they had, they were now long gone. Ben and Katti had decided to investigate some of the subterranean tunnels under the camp when the beast ambushed them.

Ben turned back and noticed Katti had fallen back. "You have to move it Katti! Lightsabers bounce off these things."

"I'm going as fast as I can," she practically snarled back. "Do you think I'm stopping to see the sights?"

Ben waited until she caught up and then grabbed her elbow and pulled her along. The monster was bouncing off the tunnel walls. Long spikes on the creature's back scraped across the passageway ceiling, breaking off stalagmites, and leaving a path of broken rock in its wake. Ben noticed the tunnel was getting smaller and that was a very good thing. Unfortunately, as they moved deeper and deeper into the caverns the hotter the air became. Ben was sure they were heading toward an active lava chamber.

The leviathan lunged forward shrieking, its small forelimbs reaching out, grasping at the Jedi as the long tentacles protruding from its upper jaw whipped out in the darkness searching for prey. Ben could smell the creature's acerbic breath wafting over his shoulder. He didn't dare turn around. His only hope now was to find a tunnel too small for the monster to follow.

Up ahead the passageway forked. Ben guided Katti toward the smaller of the two tunnels. The lava tube became smaller and smaller until Ben had to duck to keep his head from banging the ceiling. Behind them they could hear the angry screams from the beast and the wet slap of its facial proboscises as it reached deep into the tunnels, blindly searched for its targets.

Ben stopped and held out his lightsaber, using it as a glowrod. He could see the long tentacles of the beast snaking down and smacking the tunnel walls, but they stopped at least twenty meters short of the two Jedi. Ben let out a deep breath as he leaned against the tunnel wall. "It can't get us."

"That's a relief," Katti said as she pulled out her comlink and tried to get a signal. She frowned at the device. "We are too deep underground to get a message out." She dropped her comlink into her tunic pocket as she held her lightsaber up to investigate the tunnel. "This passage dead ends." She looked back to Ben. "We're stuck until that thing gets bored and wanders away."

Ben reached into his trouser cargo pocket and pulled out and activated a glowrod. He then turned off his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt. "We're just going to have to wait it out."

Jedi Novaku turned off her lightsaber and sat down across from Ben, her back leaning against the tunnel wall. Ben used his foot to smooth out an area of the floor and sat down also. They could hear the monster howl angrily and the shrieks reverberated through the Force and echoed through Ben's head. He reached up and rubbed his temples trying to ward off a headache.

Katti stared down the tunnel into the darkness. "What _is _that thing?"

"A leviathan. They are bioengineered creatures created by fallen dark-Jedi during the Hundred-Year Darkness. They are very aggressive and territorial. And, as you can see, they are big and can grow up to ten meters in height. Their skin is so tough it's impervious to lava…and lightsabers. They can also interfere with a Force-user's abilities. The monster can project screams through the Force—the agonizing cries of its past victims. It's enough to drive a Jedi mad."

"Oh, it that all. I thought we were in trouble at first," the young Jedi said sarcastically.

Ben laughed despite the dire danger they were in, Katti had a way of making him laugh.

She was a year younger than Ben. She had come to the Temple on Coruscant to train ten years earlier, but somehow their paths never crossed until the Jedi withdrew from the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances and moved to their secret Base on Shedu Maad.

Within the Jedi's much smaller temple Ben finally met Jedi Apprentice Katti Novaku. She was a pretty, petite woman whose sarcastic attitude rivaled Han Solo himself. Ben attributed her sardonic wit to her Hapan upbringing. Katti was born on Kuat, but her mother and father were both Hapan. Her mother died in a speeder accident shortly after Katti was born. Her father was a crewman on a Hapan Battle Dragon. He paid for Katti to be raised by a nanny on Hapes until he tragically died during the Battle of Qoribu. Orphaned she was headed to Foster Care until she convinced the child care worker that she was a Force sensitive and should be sent to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

Ben wasn't sure if Katti subconsciously used a Force suggestion to drive home the request, but she ended up at the Temple and accepted as an apprentice. That was ten years ago and through great determination and hard work she fast tracked her way to knighthood.

Katti turned to him. "How long until we are missed and a rescue party dispatched?"

Ben frowned. "Probably within one planetary rotation. We are in the outer rim and a rescue party might take days to get here." Ben wiped his brow where sweat began to bead. "The trouble is we might not live to see any rescue. We don't have water and we are sweating out our fluids."

She raised an eyebrow and gave him an expression that reminded him so much of his mother when she was irritated. Ben often wondered if his mother was of Hapan descent. He saw so many of his mother's mannerisms in Katti.

"I hope you haven't given up already," she said cynically. "I would rather die fighting that beast over slowly cooking in here. Can't you use the Force to call to your father…or anybody?"

"That's a good idea." Ben closed his eyes and reached out with the Force. He could sense Katti trying to maintain her Jedi calm, the beast in the corridor and its ravenous hunger, and small pockets of sentients on the planet's surface—none Force-users. He stretched out his Force-senses further, off planet and into the coldness of space. After a few moments of searching his Force senses brushed against a familiar presence—his father. Ben concentrated; he projected the image of the leviathan and the dangerous predicament he and Katti were in. From the Grand Master he felt a twinge of panic followed by grim determination. His father was on his way.

Ben opened his eyes and gazed at Katti. "My father knows we're here. He'll send help. We just need to hang on."

She nodded as she pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "I guess we wait."

* * *

After about an hour Katti jumped up off the ground with a growl. "I am baking in here."

To Ben's shock she began pealing off her clothing. She pulled off her Jedi cloak and threw it to the ground followed by her heavy tunic, leaving her wearing her trousers, boots and a light, white, sleeveless t-shirt before she sat back down.

Ben swallowed hard as he tried to pull his eyes off her exquisite body. After Vestara broke his heart he had sworn off women…until he noticed Katti on Shedu Maad. He had wanted to approach her for quite a while, but he didn't feel right about doing so until she was a full Jedi Knight. His father didn't forbid Knight and Apprentice relationships, but Ben didn't want to give the impression of any impropriety. He waited until she was knighted and fully intended on asking her out, but then he inexplicably found himself hesitant to do so. He wasn't sure if his bad previous relationship caused his reluctance or if Katti's intense good looks intimidated him. Hapan women had a well-deserved reputation as attractive, confident, and sexy women and Katti was no exception.

She was a vividly beautiful woman with stunning brown eyes, high cheekbones, a delicate nose, full lips and curves in all the right places. Katti Novaku turned the heads of almost every male in the Temple…including the son of the Grand Master. She was one of the few women who looked sexy while wearing the unflattering Jedi Robes and now that she was out of her tunic and cloak Ben couldn't keep his eyes off of her. The light sleeveless undershirt was damp with sweat as it clung to her body enticingly. He could make out the outline of a practical sports bra underneath, but that was also soaked allowing the outline of her breasts to show through.

He blushed and forcing himself to look away before she caught him ogling her. They were in big trouble and he didn't need his male hormones distracting him. He ran his hand through his short red hair in frustration.

When he was given this assignment he was told to pick somebody to go with him and he immediately selected Katti. He thought it would be a good way to get to know her…and it was. The trip to the outer rim was wonderful with the two bantering back and forth and enjoying each other's company. Unfortunately, the angry leviathan currently trying to stalk and eat them had put a kink in his romance plans. Ben's stomach clenched in anguish realizing his infatuation with this woman was the reason she was now in danger.

"Ben," Katti said, pulling him out of his musings. "Are you going to get your heavy cloak off or am I going to have to drag your unconscious dehydrated body out of here if rescue does come?"

"Oh…yeah, sure," he said as he stood and removed his cloak and tunic until he was wearing similar garb as Katti. His shirt was equally wet and clung to his torso uncomfortably.

She gave him an appraising look. "I didn't know you were that muscular. I'm impressed. You must work out in the gym a lot."

Ben looked down at his wet shirt and noticed it outlined his well-cut abdominals and bulging pectoral muscles just as much as Katti's shirt flaunted her breasts. Ben flushed at the comment. "I do work out. Thanks."

There was an awkward pause as they listened to the creature at the end of the tunnel howl furiously.

She gave him a small smile. "I want to thank you for selecting me for my first mission. It is a great honor to be chosen out of the seven newly knighted Jedi."

Her words of gratitude made Ben feel miserable. She was thanking him for getting her into this predicament. He cursed inwardly knowing he should have asked Master Durron to accompany him, after all, the Jedi Master was familiar with the planet. Unfortunately, Ben wanted to spend time with a beautiful young Jedi Knight and his decision would probably get them both killed. And what was worse was she was thanking him. He shook his head in disgust loathing his own actions.

Katti noticed the change in his demeanor. "This is not your fault."

He regarded her sadly. "It is Katti. I'm sorry."

A perplexed look crossed her face. "You knew about those things?" She pointed down the tunnel where the monster could be heard scratching at the walls and trying to burrow toward them.

Ben shook his head. "No, I thought they were extinct." He gazed deeply into her eyes as he steeled himself to tell her the truth. "Katti, I didn't pick you to accompany me on this mission for any other reason other than…I wanted to get to know you better." He let out a long sigh. "And because of that…you may die."

Her eyes went wide. "I wasn't chosen because you thought I would be an asset to the mission?"

Ben groaned as he rubbed a hand over his face. "Yes…no…I mean, not exactly. You're an excellent Jedi, but I should have asked a Master to accompany me." He looked at her expectantly waiting for her reaction. He anticipated an angry outcry accompanied by a long string of profanities, but her responsed shocked him. She laughed.

She broke out in laughter and rolled over on her side. "Jedi Knight Ben Skywalker, son of the Grand Master, hero of the Second Galactic Civil War," she said while laughing. "Assigns women to accompany him on missions so he can hit up on them."

"Not fair, Katti." Ben burned with embarrassment as he turned away. "I wanted to get to know you better, not get into your pants."

She stopped laughing and sat back up. "You could have just asked me out." She looked down the dark tunnel when the creature gave another shriek. "This makes a lousy first date. I much rather have gone to dinner with you than become a slow cooked meal for something called a leviathan."

"I know," he muttered miserably.

"Speaking about getting into one's pants," she said as she quickly stood and kicked the boots off her feet and yanked off her heavy trousers until she was stripped down to her underwear. "If I'm going to die, I want to be comfortable." She tossed her trousers over to Ben and smirked. "You can put them on if you like. Then if you survive you can tell your buddies you got into my pants."

She snickered as she sat back down. Ben stared at her gravely before he held up and examined her petite trousers. "I don't think I'll fit."

That brought out another bought of laughter from the woman. "That's even a better story to tell the guys. _I tried to get into her pants but I was too big_."

Ben blushed furiously as he tossed the leggings aside. "This is not funny Katti. We are in serious trouble."

She leaned back against the tunnel wall and crossed her legs. "Ben, how will brooding and being anger at you make things better?"

He shook his head. "It won't."

She pulled off her socks before she rolled up her tunic into a make-shift pillow and lied down on the ground facing him.

He looked at her in wonder, impressed by her composure. "I don't know how you can be so calm."

"I don't know either. Maybe it's because I feel safe around you." She smiled warmly. "Don't be so pessimistic. You said your father knows we're here. I'm sure he has some Jedi in the outer rim that will swoop down to save us. If not Jedi then somebody from the Galactic Alliance fleet, or the Empire or the Queen of Hapes might send some Battle Dragons to save the son of the Grand Master."

"Hopefully." He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead as he fidgeted in his overly warm pants.

"You might as well lose the bottoms. No need to maintain our modesty now."

Ben looked down at his trousers and blushed, but eventually stood and removed his boots, pants and socks. He tossed them aside as he self-consciously moved his hands in front of his groin area, knowing full well every bulge was clearly outlined in his sweat soaked boxer briefs.

"Now I have something to live for," Katti jested. "Are you really interested in me?"

Ben snorted as he sat back down. "No, I just said that to make you feel better," he said in a mocking tone. "If I let you know the handsome and very eligible Ben Skywalker was hot for your body then you could die a happy woman."

Please," she scoffed. "Dream on."

He frowned slightly. "So, would you have turned me down if I had asked you out?"

She eyed him, letting her gaze rove from his head to his feet, pausing to linger over certain areas. "I doubt it."

Ben smiled. "Really?"

She gave him an appraising look. "You're a really nice guy and a handsome man. I wouldn't kick you out of bed for eating crackers."

Ben smiled as he laid his head down on the cloak-covered ground. "I'll remember that next time I feel peckish."

He didn't think it was possible, but the air around him felt hotter. He knew they were not going to last the days it would take to his father to find them. They probably only had hours before heatstoke hit. Hopefully his father could hire somebody already in the outer rim willing to take on a monstrous leviathan. His father knew a whole host of crazy people, but unfortunately, probably none with a death wish.

"You're sulking again," Katti murmured. "Think of something else. Don't think about our rescue."

"What should I think about?"

"Think about the future and all the fun we can have when we get out of here," she offered.

A smile crossed his face. "You are an optimist." He rolled over on his back and stared at the shadows created from the glow rod. "So, will you go on date with me when we get off this planet?"

"Of course. What took you so long to ask?"

He gave her a gesture of resignation. "I have lousy luck with women."

She rolled her eyes. "Wasn't the last woman you dated a Sith who you and your father captured on Dathomir and held hostage?" She smirked. "Maybe you should try going about meeting women in better places…like a swoop gang bar. And instead of holding her hostage try bringing her to a holo or dinner."

He sighed dramatically. "I knew I was doing something wrong. And I thought those fur lined stun cuffs were romantic."

She chuckled and fell silent for a long moment. Eventually she turned to him with questioning eyes. "I heard you saw her when you were in the Chiloon Rift with your father. What did you say to her?"

Ben chuckled. "Nothing. I just picked up a heavy assault blaster and tried my best to kill her."

Katti made a mock grimace. "Ouch! I guess you don't take rejection too well."

"No, I just don't take the killing of tens-of-thousands of innocent civilians too well."

"I'll keep that in mind." Her voice was low and strained and Ben knew the heat was getting to her.

"Maybe you should go into a healing trance."

She shook her head. "There's nothing to heal. I need water and I don't think a trance will help out with dehydration. Anyway, I don't want to go to sleep. I want to talk to you until…until our rescue."

He smiled. "I really enjoyed the flight over here. I think we get along extremely well."

"So do I."

Ben ran his tongue over his parched lips. It felt like his tongue was swelling in his mouth and his sight was beginning to blur. It had to be over forty degrees Celsius inside the tunnel and it appeared to be getting hotter by the moment. He looked over to Katti lying only a meter away from him. Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow…and he was the reason she was dying. An intense flash of grief and shame descended upon him. Ben tried to stifle a sob as tears ran down his face.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Please Ben, this is not your fault. Someone had to accompany you to this planet, if not me than somebody else." She scooted across the tunnel floor until she was lying next to him. "I'm glad it was me." She reached up and gently caressed his cheek, running a thumb across his jaw before she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. His already pounding heart quickened a beat. Under better circumstances he would kiss her all day, but they were becoming slow broiled and contact was more uncomfortable than stimulating. He pulled away and smiled.

"When we get out of here we'll go skiing on Hoth."

She smiled. "You have a deal, Skywalker." She then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Ben woke sometime later by a sound. He heard the leviathan screaming along with blaster fire. He sat up slowly, his body shaking from dehydration. "Do you hear that Katti?"

He blinked and tried to focus his eyes, but his sight swam. Through blurry eyes he gazed down to where Katti lay and his stomach clenched. Her face was bright red and she had stopped sweating. He truly hoped help was not too late. He reached out with the Force to identify his rescuer and discovered it wasn't anybody he expected—it wasn't his father, it wasn't even a Jedi. In the distance he could feel the familiar presence of Talon Karrde and his crew. Ben's jaw dropped in shock. Talon Karrde was older than his father. He was older than his Uncle Han! Why would his father send a man in his mid-seventies into this horrific situation? He tried to stand but his legs buckled beneath him. He attempted to call out, but his parched throat stifled his speech and he was unable to raise his voice over the ruckus of the creature and the blaster fire.

A loud explosion rocked the tunnels and the roar of the leviathan ceased as the lava tube filled with dust and ash. Ben tried again to stand but this time the exertion was too much. He fell to the ground, his vision going dark. The last thing he saw was an elderly Talon Karrde walking down the tunnel carrying an unusually large and deadly looking blaster.

* * *

"Ben. Ben, wake up."

Ben Skywalker slowly opened his eyes and blinked at the overhead lights. He looked around and realized he was on a ship. He drew his tongue across his parched lips. His mouth was dry and it was painful to swallow. Eventually his mind focused enough to comprehend his situation. He moved to sit up but a hand held him down.

"Whoa, Ben. Don't move."

Ben turned to the sound of the voice and saw Talon Karrde sitting in a chair next to him looking tired and concerned. Ben looked around frantically for Katti. "Where's…Katti?"

Karrde smiled. "She's fine. We only had one cot in our med-area. She's in my cabin getting taken care of by 2-1B. She had heatstroke, but we're pumping fluids into her and she should recover in no time."

Ben let out a sigh of relief as he fell back down on the cot. "Good."

Talon stood up and patted Ben's hand. "And don't worry," he said with a smirk. "I won't tell your dad I found you two lying together in the nude."

Ben's eyes went wide. "Nude?" He shook his head. "We were in our underwear."

Karrde laughed. "Don't worry. People get delirious when then in advanced stages of heatstroke. You two probably tore off your clothes while experiencing fevered hallucinations."

Ben swallowed hard. He hoped that was all they did in their delirious state of mind. He turned back to Karrde. "How did you get past the leviathan?"

Talon grinned. "A seventy-seven-year-old smuggler with a DXR-6 disruptor rifle beats a leviathan any day of the week."

Ben frowned. "A disruptor rifle…but those are highly illegal."

Karrde gave a caustic laugh. "And I'm a smuggler who's too old to give a kriff …what part of that is confusing. Get some sleep." He turned to leave and Ben could hear the older man chuckle. "Illegal…that's funny."

* * *

A couple days later Ben was well enough to go visit Katti. He poked his head into the cabin she was staying in and smiled. "Can I come in?"

She graced him was a wide grin. "Yes. I'm so glad we made it."

She was still in bed, clothed in a patient gown, with a saline IV still hooked to her arm. He gently sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out and brushed her silky hair out of her eyes. "I guess this means we are going to vacation on Hoth together?"

She frowned. "Did I promise you that?"

His smile dipped slightly. "Yeah, but you were under duress at the time. I'm not going to hold you to it."

"Good, because I don't like the idea of fighting off Wampas or herds of wild tauntauns. How about someplace temperate, like Chandrilla or Kuat?"

Ben smiled widely. "That sounds nice. So it's a date? You'll go out with me?"

Her eyes raked over his body as she gave him a coy look. "Why not?"

He smiled as his eyes gave her an equal perusal. Despite the unattractive white hospital gown the outline of her gorgeous figure could clearly be seen underneath. She had a body to die for and he felt like a man drawing his last breath. Before he could change his mind, he leaned down and kissed her…and she kissed him back.

Her hands plunged into his hair, pulling his head closer as her luscious lips wandered over his face, kissing, licking, teasing until he pulled away fearing his passion would override all caution. "Oh Force," he muttered while trying to regain his breath. "You're going to give me another heatstroke."

"That is definitely not the type of stroke I want to give you." She smiled seductively. "I've been wanting to kiss you for a very long time."

"Really?" He stepped back away from the bed flustered. He looked to the open door of the cabin and back to her. "It's too bad there is no such thing as a cold sonic shower."

"Poor boy," she chuckled while reaching her hand out to him. He stepped forward and took her hand in his. "When we get back to the Temple, let's continue where we left off in the tunnels."

He smiled. "That sounds good." He leaned down and kissed the palm of her hand, not trusting himself to do more. He feared if he kissed her lips again he would be lost. "I'll let you rest."

He shut the door behind him and walked down the ship corridor, but then stutter stepped when he recalled her words, '_let's continue where we left off in the tunnels_'. Did she mean the brief kissed they shared…or did something more take place in their last delirious moments before they passed out? He shook the thought out of his head. He was positive if something happened he would remember.

He squared his shoulders with renewed confidence as a broad smile blossomed across his face. For the first time in a long time he felt good about the future. He wasn't dwelling on the death of his mother, his father's injury, the fall and death of his cousin, Abeloth or the Jedi's search for the Lost Tribe of the Sith.

With one kiss Katti dispelled those emotional demons and had him dreaming of a possible blissful future. It may only be a dream, but it is often said, in dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.

He had a feeling that this time his dreams just might come true.


End file.
